PULLMAN, Wash. - Edgard da Gama e Silva Filho has joined the Washington State University volleyball program as a volunteer assistant coach, Cougar Head Coach Brian Heffernan announced Thursday.

Filho, who goes by the name Dega, is originally from Curitiba, Brazil, and was an assistant coach to Bernardo Rezende for the Rexona Volleyball Club, a professional women's team in Brazil, from 2001-2004 after serving as an intern with the same team from 1997-2000. He also served as an intern for the Brazilian National Team (1998-2000) and worked in his native country with several other volleyball club programs, including serving as the tournament coordinator of the 1989 South America Youth Volleyball Cup.

Filho earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from State University of Paraná, Brazil. He also completed a specialization of physical education with an emphasis on coaching from the same university.

He has spent the past three years as the technical director and coach of the Skagit Volleyball Club. In 2005, Filho was an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University when the Eagles were the Big Sky Conference runners-up. He has also conducted Brazil Gold Volleyball Camps in the Washington for the past five years.

The Cougar women's volleyball team will begin the 2007 season hosting the Cougar Challenge Tournament with teams from South Dakota State, Northern Colorado and University of Portland playing at Bohler Gym August 25-25.